Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Wednesday that linking the EU – Turkey course with the progress in the Cyprus issue is “a step forward”, stressing that we can reach a mutually beneficial state of affairs as long as Turkey shows a constructive attitude.
Asked after the Council of Ministers meeting about Turkey’s refusal to be represented at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the EU enlargement, the Spokesman said that indeed Turkey has informed about its non-participation in the event.
“We believe that based on the Conclusions of the last European Council, in which the course of the EU-Turkey ties is clearly linked to the progress in the Cyprus issue, it is a step forward, a positive step, a positive message” he said, adding that the Republic of Cyprus, has proven that it has a positive and constructive stance in seeing progress in the EU-Turkey affairs as long as there is also progress in the Cyprus issue.
Noting that the Cyprus problem is a European problem, he said that the Eu
ropean family has sent a message to Turkey about the positive prospects that can exist in these very important points that are of interest to Ankara and said that Turkey should now show in practice its own constructive attitude regarding the Cyprus issue.
He added that from the first moment of taking office, the President of the Republic had developed this approach to achieve a mutually beneficial state of affairs.
“We believe that through these Conclusions we can reach this mutually beneficial state of affairs and we sincerely hope that Turkey will also demonstrate the same constructive stance that will benefit not only Cyprus, but also the wider region”, he concluded.
It is recalled that in its Conclusions last week, the European Council said that “the European Union attaches particular importance to resumption of and progress in the Cyprus settlement talks in further enhancing EU-Trkiye cooperation. Recalling its previous conclusions, the European Council remains fully committed to a comprehensive settl
ement of the Cyprus problem, within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and in line with the principles on which the Union is founded and the acquis”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency